


Johnny-Wild:  Blame it on the Goat

by Joni_Beloni



Category: Emergency!
Genre: Drama, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-31
Updated: 2011-08-03
Packaged: 2017-10-22 01:43:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/232315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joni_Beloni/pseuds/Joni_Beloni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Johnny Gage never dreamed that he would personally need the services of Animal Control officer Dave Gordon.  While Dave stalks the wild animal threatening Johnny’s ranch, Johnny stalks Dave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the season 4 episode/failed pilot “905-Wild.” For those unfamiliar, Dave Gordon was portrayed by Mark Harmon in one of his earliest roles. For those who are familiar with this episode, you might notice that I’ve taken some liberties with a few relatively minor details in the first scene of the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the season 4 episode/failed pilot “905-Wild.” For those unfamiliar, Dave Gordon was portrayed by Mark Harmon in one of his earliest roles. For those who are familiar with this episode, you might notice that I’ve taken some liberties with a few relatively minor details in the first scene of the story.

Johnny could not believe it. He stood in the hallway of Rampart’s ER, gazing around him at the rapt faces of adult men and women as they nervously awaited the outcome of emergency surgery on…a…a goddamn goat! A pygmy goat, no less. He glanced over at Roy, who looked as keyed up as if he were anticipating the birth of his next child. And there were Sally and three other nurses who surely had better things to be doing then stand around goldbricking and smiling and wiping away sniffy little tears. But the most incredible thing about the whole scenario had to be Dr. Brackett. He had groused and complained and snarled at first, adamantly refusing to even let the animal in the hospital, then the next thing Johnny knew, he was setting up radio relays with some grandfatherly sounding veterinarian and making like Christiaan Barnard at his first heart transplant.

Hearing Brackett’s tense instructions to Dr. Early of, “Clamp off that bleeder,” nearly had Johnny laughing out loud, but everyone else looked so serious and concerned, so he played along with the farce, just gave his face a distracted rub and settled back to wait, trying to look like he gave a shit. Not that he had anything against animals. He loved animals as much as the next person. It was just that Rampart was a hospital for _people_ , and he and Roy should be out rescuing people and not cooling their heels waiting to find out if smelly little William was going to pull through.

Across the hallway, the two Animal Control officers alternately paced and posed against the wall with arms crossed, all puffed up with self-importance and smarmy compassion for a…a…a pygmy goat! Apparently this was the Super Bowl and World Series of Animal Control, probably the most excitement they had seen since the big squirrel rescue of ’72. Johnny eyed them critically, noting the neat olive jackets, khaki pants and crisp beige dress shirts, their dark ties still knotted at their necks. The black guy looked like he was auditioning for a part as the ultra macho but caring police captain in some lame action movie. And his partner…well, that kid looked like Beaver Cleaver’s younger, sappier next door neighbor. Hell, if Johnny hadn’t known the goat belonged to some little girl, he would have guessed that this guy – Dave Something-Or-Other – was the rightful owner.

Dave Gordon, he now recalled. Johnny couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of him. The guy had an utterly vapid expression on his All-American features with that ridiculous nose jutting out like a blade over the cheesiest aw-shucks grin he had ever seen. Not a brown, sun-bleached hair on his head seemed out of place and Johnny repressed an absurd impulse to stalk across the hall and muss it up. Dave’s wide blue eyes held nothing that Johnny could discern, no intelligence, no self-awareness, no humor; they were simply vacant reflections of an apparently brand new soul, unscathed and incurious.

Johnny had first encountered Dave and his partner Les at a rescue not long ago. A man had collapsed at Bernardi’s Market, the grocery store that he and his wife owned, and when Johnny and Roy arrived they had discovered an enormous Bengal tiger prowling the back room and feasting on the fresh meat stored there. Animal Control had been summoned, and these two self-important yahoos had shown up, sneaking around the roof and back room with their guns like earnest boy scouts playing at cops and robbers, with the poor tiger cast in the role of the bad guy. Johnny and Roy had left the scene soon after Dave and Les arrived, and they had never heard whether the tiger got the bullet or the 5cc tranquilizer dart, but he felt sure that Dave and Les had just been itching to put a piece of hot lead between the beautiful animal’s eyes.

Then, in the midst of the recent wildfires, they had appeared again, getting in the way of firefighters performing the serious job of controlling the fires and rescuing human beings, and next thing they knew, Johnny and Roy were pulled away from the scene to help save the goat. William. A goat named William. Johnny gave a disgusted grimace as he finally got it – William – Billy – Billy Goat. “Ah, for Pete’s sake,” he muttered under his breath.

“What was that, Junior?” Roy asked, never taking his eyes off of the impromptu surgery in the treatment room.

“Nothing.” He slid his gaze back across the hall and froze as he found wide blue eyes staring back at him. His breath caught in his throat. The eyes weren’t vacant after all. For just a moment, they smoldered with everything he had thought had been missing: humor, warmth, razor sharp intelligence, and an almost aggressive challenge that went straight to Johnny’s cock, startling him into a surprised grunt. Dave’s mouth parted slightly, emphasizing the full lower lip and then quirked up on one side in an amused grin before he looked away.

Johnny blinked rapidly, snapping his own mouth shut. _Hot damn. He is absolutely gorgeous. How did I miss that before?_ He forced himself to look away, and was relieved that no one else seemed to have noticed the brief byplay. The goat surgery was winding to a close, with little William evidently expected to live another day to trip across pygmy bridges and spar with pygmy trolls.

The HT which Roy clutched in his white-knuckled grip suddenly crackled to life, causing Roy to jump and give a surprised laugh. He informed dispatch of their availability, and they pushed away from the wall to return to work. As Johnny passed Dave, he could not resist another lingering glance at the living, breathing wet dream of a man. He ventured a half-smile of his own and was rewarded with a triumphant grin so lightning-quick he could have imagined it. Heart thudding, feeling as if he was walking in slow motion, he kept his gaze locked with those blue eyes until he nearly tripped over his own feet. Sensing Roy’s impatience, he hurried to catch up with his partner.

*******

 **Two weeks later**

The sound came again, closer this time, much too close, and all the hairs on the back of Johnny’s neck stood at attention.

He reined in Topaz, patted her neck and spoke softly, trying to calm her down. They were still nearly twenty minutes from the ranch. Sunset turned the western horizon red and lavender, and overhead the sky had darkened to deep blue. The day had been so perfect, warm and cloudless, with the barest hint of a breeze. Judging the bay dun fit enough to negotiate the trail above his ranch after her recent foaling, he had let her set their rather slow pace, and had ended up staying out longer than he intended. As he made his way towards home, trying not to hurry her too much, the sensation of being followed had grown stronger, and the mare had become increasingly skittish.

At the first scream from the mountain lion, Topaz reared in panic, and although she hadn’t come close to unseating him, Johnny’s heart pounded as adrenaline flooded through him. He urged her down the trail as quickly as he dared in the growing darkness, telling himself over and over that mountain lions didn’t attack horses…did they? As far as he knew, a mountain lion had not attacked a human in this area for decades.

 _Which doesn’t mean this one won’t attack now._

The steep trail wound through tall rock formations sprinkled with scraggly pine trees and Scotch Broom on one side, and a sharp drop off on the other. Johnny knew that in another five minutes the trail would begin to gradually even out, and then it was an easy twenty minute ride back to his ranch. He felt Topaz slip slightly on the rocky trail, then regain her footing. He controlled her closely, and had begun to believe that the mountain lion had abandoned them for easier prey. Then it came again, that eerie sound somewhere between a scream and a roar, and this time it came from right above them.

A blur of movement gave him his only warning before a speeding weight slammed into him, knocking him off Topaz’s back and sending him rolling toward the edge of the trail and the drop off. Managing to stop his momentum, he lay stunned for a moment, trying to determine how badly he was hurt. The sound of a terrified Topaz brought his attention back to the mare and he scrambled to his feet as quickly as his protesting body would allow, to find her backing away from the pacing mountain lion, rearing and lashing out with sharp hooves. Blood dripped from her withers, and he froze at the sight of her shredded flesh.

The mountain lion looked ready to launch itself at the mare once again. Desperately, Johnny scanned the area for anything he could use as a weapon against the wild animal. He scooped up as many small jagged rocks as he could hold in each hand, then hurled first one palm full and then the other at the lion, hollering and waving his arms over his head. The tawny feline danced nervously back up the trail and circled restlessly, giving a low, querulous growl, as if trying to decide whether the mare was worth the trouble.

Knowing how unpredictable a wild animal could be, Johnny kept an eye on the lion as he approached Topaz. He kept his movements smooth and slow, placing a soothing hand on the mare’s neck and collecting the reins. “Shhh…it’s okay, girl. You’re okay.” He felt her trembling, and she balked a little as he tried to get her turned around.

The lion edged closer, head raised as it caught the scent of the mare’s blood. Getting a sudden inspiration, Johnny continued speaking softly to Topaz as he reached first around and then underneath her, practiced hands rapidly unfastening the saddle before liftng it off of her back. He held her bridle and eased her around so she faced down the trail. The mountain lion continued to pace, hissing and growling. With a loud “Hyah!” Johnny smacked his hand on Topaz’ flank to send her towards home, praying she would keep her footing in the fading light as her pain and terror sent her hurtling down the hill. Wielding the saddle like a shield, he spun back to face the lion, just in time to fend off a swipe of its huge paw. He staggered backwards but managed to stay on his feet.

He couldn’t hold off the lion indefinitely, and he figured he would only have one chance to discourage it long enough for him to put sufficient distance between them to make it back to the ranch. Waiting for his opportunity, he walked backwards, taking periodic glances over his shoulder to make sure he didn’t step off of the trail. He kept most of his attention on the lion, which stalked after him, growling menacingly in the back of its throat. For the time being, the big cat didn’t seem eager to charge him. Every so often, it stopped, just watching him retreat, pacing warily and whipping its tail back and forth.

Several tense minutes later, Johnny had almost made it down the steepest part of the trail to where it leveled off, and was wondering if it would be better to turn and sprint full out towards home, or if he should keep up his slow, watchful withdrawal. The mountain lion seemed to be losing enthusiasm for the game, perhaps because it detected the strengthening scent of humans and “civilization,” such as it was in the sparsely populated foothills where Johnny’s ranch was located. In that moment, Johnny lost his concentration and stepped on a chunk of granite the size of a golf ball, turning his ankle, stumbling back and landing hard, taking most of the impact on his ass and his left wrist.

“Shit,” he gritted out, struggling back to his feet and wincing as pain shot through his ankle. He had just enough time to lift the saddle when the lion charged. This time he swung it at the animal’s head, slamming it with all the force he could muster. The lion’s head snapped back and the animal flopped to one side before springing up, backing up the trail with a yowl of pain.

Hoping to avoid a charge, Johnny chucked the saddle at the lion, landing a direct hit on the animal’s back. Time seemed to stop for just a second as the lion stared at him, its amber eyes filled with fury and uncertainty. Out of weapons, Johnny waved both arms at it, bellowing wordlessly. Finally, the lion turned around and loped back up the hill. Johnny wasted no time. He turned in the other direction and made for home as fast as he could manage, scrambling and stumbling down the steep incline. When he reached level ground, he accelerated, covering the distance in an uneven gait, ignoring as best he could the shooting pains in his ankle.


	2. Chapter 2

“How’s she look Pete?” Johnny stood outside the stall, watching the vet work on Topaz’s injuries. The mare’s eyes showed white around the edges every so often when Pete Flores applied salve to a particularly sensitive area.

“Luckily the cuts are mostly superficial. No muscle or tendon damage. She’s probably going to be skittish for a good long while, but she’ll heal.” He rubbed Topaz’s nose and slipped her a slice of apple. “Yes, pretty girl, you’re going to be fine.” He turned back to Johnny. “Better keep her and the others inside for a while.”

Johnny crossed his arms, hands tucked in his armpits, and frowned worriedly. “You think that cat will stick around, then?”

“Don’t know.” Pete finished up, tossing supplies in his bag and heading to the utility sink to wash up. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard of one of them hunting this far down. They’re about as unpredictable as humans, though. Whether it hangs around depends on what brought it down here in the first place. If you get any indication that it’s still in the area, you should get Animal Control out here right away.”

“You’re probably right.” Johnny followed him out to his truck, hoping he had seen the last of the big cat.

Pete climbed in the cab, stowed his bag behind the seat and rolled down the window, giving Johnny an appraising look. “You should think about getting yourself looked at, too. Can’t help noticing that limp, and you look pretty scraped up.”

“It’s worse than it looks. Let’s just say a downhill trail with a sharp drop-off and a bunch of loose rocks is no place to be playing matador with a mountain lion and a saddle.”

“I coulda told you that.”

“Ha ha. A vet _and_ a comedian. See you later, Pete.”

Johnny watched Pete’s headlights sweep through the shadowy yard as he turned his truck around and maneuvered through the open metal gate, red taillights receding and disappearing as he rounded the corner. He sighed, started toward the house, thought better of it, and limped back to the barn to double-check that Topaz, her three month old foal Sapphire, and the two year old gelding named Herman were comfortable and settled in for the night, and the front and back doors of the barn were securely bolted. Satisfied that they were safe from any predators, he headed wearily to the house, thankful that he wasn’t on shift the next day.

 

*******

 

Johnny woke with a start, throwing off the sheets and blankets and staring up at the ceiling, breathing hard and wondering what the hell had woken him up. Then the scream-roar split the night open again and he leapt out of bed, hopping into his discarded jeans, not bothering to button them or to throw on a shirt. He flew down the stairs, taking them two at a time, and paused at the front door just long enough to shove his feet into a pair of sneakers and flip on the yard light. He burst outside and froze, all at once awake enough to realize the foolishness of rushing around before he knew where the mountain lion was. So he hovered by the door, listening to the sound of his own harsh breathing and waiting for the cat to announce itself. When the sound came again, he realized the animal wasn’t as close as he had first thought in the confusion of waking, but that it had approached near enough to the house to be worrisome.

For the first time in his life, he wished he owned a gun. Instinct told him to run to the barn to check on the horses, but he recalled Pete’s advice to him to call Animal Control, and decided a better plan would be to make the call and then head over to the barn. Keeping his ears open, he went back inside and called Information, not wanting to waste time hunting for the number in the phone book.

He wasn’t sure if he would be able to talk to anyone at 3:30 in the morning, and so was relieved when the call was answered on the second ring. He explained the situation and the dispatcher instructed him to stay indoors and wait for the officers to arrive. After he hung up, he grabbed a clean t-shirt from the laundry room, started a pot of coffee and alternated between pacing the living room and sitting on the sofa with one leg bouncing up and down. Twice more he heard the mountain lion roar, and although it didn’t sound any closer, it seemed to move from one side of the yard to the other, and when he peered out the window he thought he saw a tawny shape gliding in and out of the shadows.

Forty-five minutes after his call, the Animal Control truck drove through his gate and into the front yard. Johnny went out to greet them, secretly pleased to discover that “The Goat Guy” (as he had come to think of him) and his partner were the responding officers. He tried not to stare at Dave, who was every bit as attractive as he remembered, but he found it difficult to look away. Every time Dave’s pale blue gaze fell on him, he shifted his own elsewhere, as if he wasn’t studying his profile and hadn’t been fantasizing about getting the man into his bed for the last two weeks, imagining all the bad things he would like to do to him.

“Sir. Mr. Gage? Gage!”

Johnny started guiltily, wondering how long Les had been trying to get his attention. “It’s Johnny,” he said, all the while smiling at Dave, who ignored him and continued pulling intriguing instruments of violence out of the back of the truck. An awkward silence ensued, and Johnny turned back to Les. “What?”

Les seemed to bite back a long-suffering sigh, but when he spoke he radiated nothing but confidence and professionalism. “Where did you last see the animal?”

Johnny gave an embarrassed cough, realizing that he had momentarily forgotten the lion and the peril to his horses. “It was sort of slinking around over there, behind the azalea bushes. And then it was near the paddock.” Seeing that he had Dave’s attention now, as well as Les’, he favored the younger man with another winning smile. “So what is all that stuff you’ve got there?” He edged closer to the truck and was treated to a fine view of Dave’s ass with his uniform pants pulled snugly over it as he leaned further into the truck to retrieve another item.

“Is it still here?” asked Les. “Gage?”

“What? Oh. Uh, your truck probably scared it off.”

“Likely it did. What we would like to do is walk the perimeter to locate signs of the animal, and maybe set some traps. With your permission, of course.”

Dave finished removing what they needed from the truck and closed the back door. “I understand you encountered the lion earlier today?”

Johnny sobered, remembering the incident on the trail, and all thoughts of getting sweaty with Dave Gordon evaporated, at least for the moment. “Yep. Up close and personal. It stalked us – me and Topaz, my bay mare – up on the trail behind my ranch, then attacked, just launched itself at me and clawed up Topaz pretty good.”

Dave winced. “How’s she doing?”

“Vet says she’ll recover. She’s pretty freaked out though. It can’t be doing her any good having that cat sniffing around here.”

“Lion’s got her scent,” said Les. Johnny glanced over to see him loading shells into a shotgun. “May not give up unless we give it some encouragement.”

Johnny frowned. “With that? You’re going to shoot it?”

“If we have to.” Les shrugged. “Normally we prefer to catch and release, but this cat has scented blood, and has shown itself to be a hazard to the human population. Ultimately it’s up to the guys at Fish and Game, but if the animal becomes a threat before we can neutralize it, we will defend ourselves.”

Johnny gaped at him for a moment. “Can’t you just throw some rocks at it or something?”

“Rocks, sir?”

“Worked for me.” He left out the part about the saddle, and how terrified he had been. Although he had been wishing for a gun earlier, the thought of the beautiful, wild animal being hunted, “neutralized” or worse, suddenly had him feeling a little ill.

He felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and looked up, surprised to see that Dave had moved to his side. The touch of the hand sent his mind straight back into the gutter. He lost himself in the concerned blue gaze, melting under the touch, breathing more quickly.

“Dave. Dave!” Les’ sharp tone broke the spell and Dave’s hand slipped off his shoulder as he turned to his partner. “Grab the tranq gun and some of those leg snares, would you? I’ve got the legbolt traps.”

“Can I give you hand?” asked Johnny, and reached for one of the complicated looking traps which looked as if could shear a leg right off.

Dave stopped him, this time with a restraining hand on his arm. “Can’t let you do that, Gage.”

“Johnny,” he said automatically.

“Okay. Johnny. Those aren’t for civilians. I’m sure that as a fireman, you understand. You wouldn’t want just anyone handling your equipment, right?”

Johnny’s mouth went dry. Surely he was imagining the double entendre and the mischievous twinkle in Dave’s eyes. Until that moment, he hadn’t been sure that Dave recognized him, and was absurdly pleased to discover that he did. His mouth curved into a teasing smile. “I guess that would depend on who was doing the handling.”

Les once again punctured the moment, this time with an aggravated sigh. “Sir, we’re going to have to ask you to wait inside the house and let us do our work.”

“Fine.” He walked backwards for a few steps, drinking in the sight of Dave back in work mode, and he absolutely did not trip over his own feet when Dave peeled off his jacket, loosened his tie, rolled up his sleeves, lifted the tranquilizer rifle and hefted it over one shoulder, the muscles of his lean arms tensing and bunching, and his shirt straining across his back.

Inside the house, Johnny poured a fresh cup of coffee and sat down to wait, slouching down with his head resting on the back of the sofa and replaying the last few minutes with Dave – the touches and meaningful looks, and that comment about his equipment. Smiling, he gave a little groan and decided that one way or the other, Dave Gordon would be his. He smiled some more and started plotting.

*******

It didn’t take long for Les and Dave to search his property near the house and barn, to determine that the cat had left for now, and to set a number of traps around the yard. Johnny was slumped in the corner of the sofa, one hand propping his head up and his coffee growing cold, when a series of sharp knocks at the door startled him out of his reverie. He practically leapt to his feet and yanked the door open with a great deal more force than necessary. Dave stood on the other side, no longer toting the rifle but still all business.

“We found footprints leading around your yard, moving away toward the foothills. I doubt your friend will be back tonight, since it’s coming on to dawn and they tend to be nocturnal hunters. Just the same, someone will be by this afternoon to check the traps.”

Johnny took up a casual stance, leaning his hip against the doorjamb and crossing his arms. “Not you and Les?”

Dave gave a half-smile and shook his head. “You’re a little out of our territory. We only cover this far out when we’re on call at night.”

Johnny was about to ask him which shelter they worked out of when Les hollered impatiently from the truck.

“Guess we’re gonna take off,” said Dave.

“Oh.” Disappointed. “Say, is it okay to go check on my horses now?”

“Sure. Just be sure to keep an eye out for those traps. They’re kind of hard to miss, but try not to forget they’re there, okay?”

They walked side by side for a few yards before Dave spoke again.

“How many horses do you have?”

“Three so far. One of them foaled not long ago.”

“Yeah? You think I could take a quick peek?”

“You sure you’re not going to get in hot water with your partner for holding him up?”

Dave chuckled. “Don’t let him fool you. Les is really as gentle as a pussycat. Hey, Les!” When Les turned around, Dave gestured toward the barn. “Johnny’s gonna show me his horses.”

Les waved negligently and stepped up into the driver’s side of the truck’s cab. Dave followed Johnny into the barn. Johnny could tell immediately that he knew a thing or two about horses by the way he greeted each one, taking a close look at Topaz’ injuries and getting just a little dewy-eyed at the sight of Sapphire, going so far as to speak a sort of modified baby-talk to the foal before catching himself.

“You’ve got some beautiful animals here,” he finally declared, his warm gaze on Johnny as he leaned one shoulder against the door to Sapphire’s stall. “And obviously well cared for.”

Daring much, Johnny moved closer, letting his own gaze dip down to Dave’s mouth for just long enough to be suggestive. “Animals are beautiful,” he said inanely, and could have kicked himself. _Animals are beautiful? What was that? Idiot!_ “Uh...I mean….” He licked his lips nervously and leaned on the door, mirroring Dave’s stance. The moment stretched as they sized one another up, until Johnny felt a magnetic pull drawing him to Dave and he leaned closer until their faces were inches apart.

Just then, a horn sounded outside, repeating in a series of short, insistent blares. Johnny pulled back guiltily, face gone hot.

Dave laughed softly. “I guess my partner’s getting impatient.” He held Johnny’s gaze for several more beats. “Time to go. See you around, Johnny.”

And then he was gone. Johnny stood alone in the barn, listening to the truck drive through the gate and move steadily further away in the early morning darkness.

Topaz snuffled curiously and was silent.


	3. Chapter 3

Yawning hugely, Johnny approached Topaz’s stall, frowning when she stirred skittishly at his approach, just as she had done every morning for the past week. He opened the door and reached towards her, keeping his movements slow and careful so as not to alarm her any further.

“It’s okay girl,” he soothed. “The nice man from Animal Control said that the mean, nasty mountain lion shouldn’t bother you anymore. That’s right, the nice, sexy Dave and his annoying, cockblocking partner set their traps and now you don’t have to worry.” He stroked her back, petted her nose, and fed her the carrot he had brought with him.

Pete Flores had been back to check on her injuries, and had declared her fit and nearly healed. Johnny continued to apply the salve daily to the ugly scabs the lion’s claws had left, but he could tell that before long all that would remain to remind him of the attack would be some faint scars and her continuing nervousness. Pete couldn’t tell him whether or not she would ever regain the calm fearlessness that Johnny had loved so much, and it hurt his heart a little to see her so traumatized. Sapphire and Herman seemed to sense her new vulnerability, and when he turned them out into the paddock the two other horses often spent some time nuzzling up to her, as if showing their support and trying to reassure her that she was safe.

He was off shift today, but he had important plans, so he hurried through his chores, cleaning the horses’ stalls, watering and feeding them, and promising them some exercise when he returned home. Even though, as he had assured Topaz, the lion was apparently gone, he still didn’t feel comfortable leaving the animals outside while he was gone for any length of time.

Back inside the house, he showered, shaved, and dressed, agonizing just a little over what he should wear. He didn’t want to appear too obvious, but neither did he want to look overly casual. Finally, he settled on his favorite pair of jeans, a green and blue plaid shirt which he tucked in before rolling the sleeves up past his elbows, a brown leather belt, and his second best pair of cowboy boots, the dark brown ones with half-inch heels and subtle tooling up the sides. He combed his hair and gave it an artful tousle, and then he was ready to head out.

It had been surprisingly simple to discover which animal shelter Dave and Les worked out of. He had noted the number 60 on their truck, and a couple of phone calls had yielded the location, which turned out to be Animal Shelter number 2 in Carson. Finding out which days they worked had been a little trickier, and he had ended up concocting a somewhat preposterous story about a birthday delivery, causing the young woman on the other end of the line to wail in distress that she hadn’t known Dave’s birthday was coming up, after which her voice had dropped to a conspiratorial whisper and she had confided that he and Les worked Wednesday through Sunday during daylight hours, and were on call a couple of night per week to respond to emergencies. Apparently it had been sheer chance that they had been the ones to respond to Johnny’s call, which he chose to take as an auspicious omen.

He took time for a quick breakfast before making the half hour drive to the Carson shelter. As he drove slowly past the building, he didn’t see Unit 60 parked in the front lot, so he drove around the block to the street behind the shelter, got out of the Rover and crept between a Laundromat and a bakery, through an alley, to the chain link fence that enclosed the back lot which contained a series of pens and cages and no truck. Dave and Les must have been out on a run.

Johnny returned to the Land Rover and moved it to a spot on the side street where he could see any vehicles approaching the shelter from either the front or the back. He set a pair of binoculars on the passenger seat, opened up a newspaper and pretended to read while he waited for Unit 60 to return.

An hour later, the truck rolled up the street, heading to the back of the building. Johnny raised the binoculars and watched as Dave hopped out of the truck, unlocked the padlocked gate in the middle of the fence, and waited for Les to drive the truck inside before following, locking the gate behind him. Keeping the binoculars trained on Dave, he saw him help Les remove two cages from the back of the truck and transfer what looked like two enormous raccoons to one of the permanent pens. A stab of jealousy pierced him at the sight of Les slapping Dave companionably on the back and following him inside, both men laughing as if sharing a joke.

Johnny set down the binoculars and checked his hair in the rearview mirror. He decided to wait a few minutes, not wanting to appear too obvious. Finally, he started up the Rover, circled the block again so that he was approaching from the correct direction, and parked in the front lot of the shelter. He took a couple of deep breaths, wrestled the nervous, silly grin from his face, took a moment to question his sanity, checked the rearview mirror one more time, ran his tongue over his teeth, breathed into his hand and took a sniff, fumbled a fuzzy Wint-O-Green Certs from an open roll in his glove compartment, popped the Certs in his mouth, opened the car door, and jumped in guilty surprise when he caught sight of Dave leaning against the outside wall of the shelter, arms crossed and an amused smile on his face.

“Crap,” muttered Johnny. He got out of the car.

“Was starting to wonder if you’d ever get up the nerve to exit the vehicle,” said Dave.

“Get up the – oh, ha ha. If I’d known you were spying on me…”

“I wasn’t. But if I was, it would only be fair, considering.”

“Fair? Considering?” Johnny knew he was busted, and in lieu of a reasonable excuse, could only parrot back Dave’s words.

“Considering you had me staked out from across the street. How long you been there, anyway?”

Deciding to come clean, Johnny took a step closer to Dave, taking a peek at the windows to make sure no one else had been watching him preen and stall in the Rover. “About an hour,” he admitted.

Dave raised his eyebrows and gave his ear a reflective scratch. “Wow. Should I be flattered or worried?”

Johnny smiled, trying to appear shy and boyish. The combination had worked for him often enough in the past. “Hopefully flattered. Hopefully _not_ inclined to sock me in the jaw.”

As Johnny had done earlier, Dave glanced at the windows, and then took a step toward Johnny, not touching, but definitely encroaching a few inches into his personal space. He leaned forward to murmur in Johnny’s ear. “That all depends. You here pretending to look for an animal to adopt?”

“No,” Johnny spluttered, surprised that Dave had guessed his ploy so completely. Dave’s smug smile and piercing gaze told Johnny that he saw right through him. “Not entirely,” he amended. “I was thinking about getting a dog. Maybe. Some day. And I…I…sort of wanted to see if you might want to stop by for dinner some night.”

“Dinner?”

“I could maybe grill us some steaks or something. Uh…salad…beer. Just to—to—thank you. For helping me out with that mountain lion.”

Dave nodded slowly, as if thinking it over. “Okay. Sure. Let me just pop inside and check with Les, see when’s a good night for him.”

“What? No! I mean, _you’re_ the one who set most of those traps. Right? So…” He scowled. “Les doesn’t like me.” Dave didn’t say anything, just smiled blandly. “Oh, for Pete’s sake. I’m asking you on a date. Is that clear enough for you? Whaddaya say? Yes or no?” He crossed his arms, defensive and ready to make a run for it if he had guessed wrong.

Dave put his hands on Johnny’s shoulders, leaned in again, and whispered in his ear. “Yes.” Then he turned and walked towards the door.

“Wait,” said Johnny. “When?”

“Tonight.” Casual and unperturbed. “I’ll bring the beer.”

Johnny was left standing alone in the parking lot. “Huh. Well all _right_.”

He felt vaguely ridiculous about how the exchange had gone, but tried not to let that dampen his enthusiasm about the coming evening. Dave Gordon may have gotten the upper hand just now, but Johnny would get it back soon enough. Tonight he would take charge and show Dave that Johnny Gage knew more than a thing or two about the art of seduction.


	4. Chapter 4

Half an hour after the sun went down – almost to the minute – headlights picked out the blue spruce and Douglas firs that lined the driveway, illuminated the azalea bushes, shone straight into Johnny’s eyes as he sauntered down the front steps, and cut off abruptly, leaving him blinking and stumbling a little as he approached the blue Mustang. He went to lean down into the open driver’s side window, aiming for suave, but jumped back in alarm as the door swung open, nearly clipping him on the thigh.

And then Dave Gordon was unfolding himself from the car, the whole six foot, blue-eyed, wonder of him. Johnny crossed his arms and took a moment to admire the view. It was the first time he had seen Dave in anything but his uniform. Tonight he wore faded Levi’s that fit him perfectly and hugged his tight ass, a blue-grey v-neck sweater with the sleeves pushed up to reveal muscled forearms sprinkled with dark gold hair, and scuffed sneakers minus the shoelaces and minus the socks. A six-pack of beer dangled from one hand. His glossy hair still needed mussing up, something Johnny looked forward to taking care of soon.

“You done ogling?” asked Dave, startling Johnny out of his…ogling.

“Do I have to be?” he muttered, and then glanced up to meet Dave’s gaze. The man did insolent amusement better than anyone Johnny had ever met. By comparison, he felt clumsy and wrong-footed. “Uh, that is, come on back. I’m all heated up. I mean, I’ve got the coals all heated up. Ready to go…steaks on the grill…as soon as….Oh, hell, just follow me.”

Deflated, he led the way around the side of the house to the patio. He had lit a couple of citronella torches earlier to keep the bugs away, along with a fat candle on the table. The patio light was off, giving the area a warm glow, half shadows and half flickering light.

Johnny took the six-pack from Dave. “Have a seat while I put these beers in the fridge.” He waved, perhaps a little too dramatically, at the round table with two chairs pushed together in intimate proximity to one another. Two marinated t-bone steaks on a plate waited to be tossed on the grill.

“Do you think I could get one first?” asked Dave.

“Get one?” _A kiss?_ “Sure,” said Johnny, letting his voice drop to that low and sexy place that never failed to get him what he wanted. He stepped closer.

“A beer. Could I get a beer before you take them all away?”

Biting back a frustrated sigh, Johnny liberated a can and handed it silently to Dave with a forced smile, then disappeared into the house as quickly as he could. Inside the kitchen, he set the five remaining beers on the counter and stood with hands on hips, eyes shut, chewing on his lower lip, wondering what he was doing wrong. Usually by now he had his date well on the way to panting with arousal, declaring that dinner could wait until later, and shedding clothes in a mad dash to the bedroom – if they made it that far.

“You gotta take control of the situation,” he coached himself. “Obviously the guy’s a little on the shy side.” He frowned thoughtfully. Maybe Dave had never done this with a guy before. He had accepted that this was a “date,” so it stood to reason that he was interested. In that case, it was up to Johnny to move things along and show him the ropes. Nodding sagely, he pulled another beer from the plastic holder, opened it, took a healthy gulp, and put the rest of the six-pack in the refrigerator.

As he walked back out onto the patio, he slid the door shut behind him and then paused, getting an eyeful of Dave’s backside. The other man stood at the edge of the patio, staring out into the night. He must have heard Johnny, because he turned, taking a swallow of beer as he did so. His tanned throat seemed to convulse and quiver in the shifting light of the torches. Johnny ordered his legs to move, to walk confidently up to Dave and treat him to a slow and dirty kiss. For the moment, his legs weren’t listening. That piercing blue gaze seemed to pin him in place. He watched stupidly as Dave paced deliberately towards him and the next thing he knew he had been shoved against the glass door, his head impacting lightly, his beer thrust aloft and foaming over his arm.

“Hi,” said Dave, amusement lacing his voice.

Johnny stared at the smug smile on Dave’s full lips, lips that hovered briefly before moving closer, zeroing in on his mouth.

“Mmph,” said Johnny. And then, “Hmmmm,” followed by, “Mmmmmmm.” He softened his mouth and gave himself up to the beery kiss. Dave’s tongue undulated inside Johnny’s mouth, tasting and claiming with a maddening heat and skill that had Johnny rapidly upgrading his estimate of the man’s experience level. Dave thrust his leg between Johnny’s thighs as his hands gathered up Johnny’s ass and pressed close, doing a slow grind against his erection. Johnny surrendered to the sensations, barely aware of the splash of beer dribbling down the glass door, or the clink of the can as it hit the patio and rolled away.

He shoved his hands under Dave’s sweater, smoothing them over his ribs and up his back, tracing lithe muscles up to his shoulder blades. When Dave pulled back to catch his breath, Johnny leaned his forehead on his shoulder, inhaling the clean scent of him. He felt Dave’s hand mold itself to the back of his skull, fingers digging into his hair, just short of pain. Sandwiched between Dave and the door, Johnny couldn’t do much more than haul the other man in a little closer and rub against him. He smiled against Dave’s neck at the sound of the strangely animal growl that emerged from Dave and seemed to fill the night air. The growl turned to a roar and a scream and Johnny raised his head, startled, only realizing then that Dave hadn’t made the noise, but that it had come from the darkness beyond the edge of the patio.

“Shit,” murmured Dave, releasing Johnny and spinning to scan the yard. “Let’s get inside. Keep it slow. No quick movements.”

Johnny reached behind himself to slide the door open. Dave herded him into the house and flipped on the outside light, illuminating the patio and the plate of steaks sitting invitingly on the table. Before Dave could stop him, Johnny shot back outside to scoop up the plate. The lion let out another yowl as if disappointed to be thwarted out of an easy meal. Johnny hesitated and then took a moment to blow out the candle, smother the torches in a container of sand, and cover the grill.

Back inside, Dave greeted him with narrow-eyed exasperation. “Not smart, Johnny.”

“Basic fire prevention 101, man. And do you know how much I paid for those steaks?”

Dave sighed. “Stay here. I’m going to go out and take a look around.”

Johnny set the plate on the kitchen counter. “I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not. I do this for a living. If I can, I’m going to get this situation taken care of for you once and for all.”

Johnny trailed him closely as he headed for the front door. “You must not have heard me when I said I was coming with you.”

Dave scowled, annoyed. “Gage….”

Insinuating himself between Dave and the front door, Johnny stood firm, arms crossed. “My property. My horses. My lion.” He finished off his argument with a raised eyebrow.

Dave gave an incredulous snort. “ _Your lion?_ ” They faced off for several seconds, Dave seeming to believe his steely blue gaze was all the persuasion he needed. Finally he sagged a little, shrugging. “Fine. Just stay behind me and don’t get in the way. And try to keep quiet.”

Johnny nodded and stepped to the side, gesturing for Dave to lead the way out the door. He did just that, barely hiding an eye roll. He headed first to his Mustang, opening the trunk and removing a shotgun and a box of shells. Johnny gaped at him.

“You drive around with a gun in your trunk?”

Dave spared him a brief glance as he expertly loaded shells into the gun. “Only when I’m chasing something wild and unpredictable.” He shot a bright, level gaze at Johnny, prompting a weak laugh and a suspicion that he hadn’t just been talking about the mountain lion.

As Dave set off towards the back of the house, Johnny shadowed him, wishing he had thought to grab a broom or a saddle or anything else to fend off the big cat. They passed the patio and continued on in the direction of the trail on which Johnny had ridden Topaz a week ago. Between the light from the house and the rising gibbous moon, Johnny could easily make out the tense set of the other man’s back and shoulders, and the dull gleam of the shotgun which he held in front of himself, cradled against one arm. Johnny wanted to ask Dave what he planned to do if they managed to find the lion, but understood the wisdom of staying as quiet as possible. Both men moved silently along the rocky path. The further they advanced, the more Dave seemed to slip into a role, reverting to a persona which was grim, intense and primal, pressing all kinds of buttons inside Johnny he hadn’t known he had.

As the minutes wore on, Johnny felt as if his nerves were being pulled tighter and tighter. The soundless hunt resurrected memories of playing hide-and-seek with his cousins as a child. They had delighted in waiting and waiting and then leaping out as if from thin air, waving their arms and letting loose with blood-curdling screams.

Now, shadows appeared to move and shift all around them. He strained his ears, trying to detect the faintest noise. Finally, as the trail began to angle upwards and wound around a huge boulder deposited by some long ago glacier, he both heard and saw a scatter of pebbles trickle past Dave’s sneakers from somewhere above them. Instantly Dave halted, raising one arm in a signal for Johnny to do the same. After a few tense moments, Dave pointed up the trail, directing Johnny to what he had seen: a crouching shape perhaps twenty yards away, slightly lighter than the shadows, studying them with amber eyes which shone in the moonlight.

Dave turned and grabbed Johnny’s shoulder. Leaning close enough that Johnny felt his hair tickle his cheek, Dave whispered in his ear, just the faintest wisp of sound. “Down, over and up.”

Johnny nodded to show that he understood the cryptic instructions, and led the way down the trail with Dave’s hand resting on his back as the other man kept the lion in sight until they were hidden behind the boulder. They continued down several hundred more yards, making a fair amount of noise, until Dave stopped him with a hand on his wrist. He hunkered down and scooped up a handful of rocks and lobbed them several at a time further down. After waiting perhaps two minutes, Dave pointed to the scrubby, rocky area to the side of the trail, indicating that they should strike out in that direction before heading up once more, paralleling the trail.

Even with the ample moonlight, Johnny was skeptical that Dave could navigate the rough terrain successfully in the dark, much less silently enough to take the lion by surprise. However, as Dave crept along a foot or two in front of him, Johnny found his respect growing for the other man’s outdoor skills. Johnny’s father had shown him how to track without making a sound, and since moving to California he had met few people who could match his abilities. Dave had obviously been taught well and if Johnny hadn’t already been lusting after the man, this would have clinched it.

Too focused on watching Dave and mentally cursing the mountain lion for delaying the elaborate seduction he had rehearsed, Johnny quickly lost track of how far they had gone. When Dave stopped abruptly and motioned him down, Johnny nearly knocked into him, but stopped himself just in time. At some point in the past, a pine tree had blown over, leaving its substantial, decaying trunk wedged between a scatter of huckleberry bushes and medium sized rocks. They hunkered behind the trunk, bellies hugging the cool, fragrant earth. Dave checked the shotgun, then propped it on the log and sighted down the barrel. Following the line with his eyes, Johnny picked out the lion one hundred feet away, posing alertly on the trail, silhouetted by moonlight and presenting an absurdly easy target.

Johnny gut clenched at the thought of the sleek, wild creature being blasted apart. Not even memories of Topaz’s injuries made the thought any more palatable. From where he lay, he could hear Dave’s breathing slow down as he relaxed and took aim. Without meaning to, Johnny gasped in dismay and unexpected sorrow, expelling a whispered, “ _Nooooo…._ ” Losing his nerve entirely, he stuffed his fingers in his ears and squeezed his eyes shut.

He waited, but no blast ripped through the night air. Daring a peek, he pried one eye open just in time to see Dave angle the barrel up a few degrees and fire over the lion’s head. Even with his ears plugged the booming report stunned him and he only belatedly realized that the animal had whipped around and streaked up the trail in obvious terror.

“Oops,” said Dave blandly. “Missed.”

Johnny narrowed his eyes, fighting a relieved smile. “You did that on purpose.”

“Disappointed?”

“What? No. I just thought….”

Dave rolled onto his side and grinned at Johnny. “Seemed like I heard an objection to me shooting your lion.” Setting the shotgun on the ground behind him, he scooted closer to Johnny, resting a hand on his thigh and letting their legs tangle together. “Don’t worry. The way he took off, he might run until he reaches Oregon. Anyway, I seriously doubt he’ll be back.”

“Oh.” Johnny stared at his mouth, feeling hunger start to coil again in his lower belly. “Well, thank you for that. All of a sudden shooting it seemed like a real shame. Wait. Him?”

“Yep. Wasn’t sure until I saw him, but it figures. The males tend to range further than the females.”

“Huh.” Johnny only half-heard what Dave was saying. He was too intent on admiring the way the moon highlighted both his hair and the sheen of perspiration in the hollow of his throat. He took his time inhaling the heady combination of Dave’s warm skin, crushed pine needles and the clean night air.

When Dave shifted, Johnny rolled with him, onto his back, sighing at the feel of teeth nipping his neck. He pushed his hands partway down the back of Dave’s jeans, cupping his ass, watching the stars overhead blur into bright blobs as his sight went unfocused. He ignored the pebbles digging into his back as they rocked lightly together, their breathing syncing both to one another and the stillness of the night. A soft breeze wafted across his bare stomach as Dave unbuttoned his jeans and pulled his shirt up and out of the way. One hand bunched in the waistband of Johnny’s boxers, shoving it down as the other fished Johnny’s cock out, running his fingers up and down its length while his calloused thumb reached underneath to brush against his balls with touches as light as a bird’s wing.

Johnny groaned, and with one of his few remaining shreds of self-control he grabbed Dave’s wrist, halting its decidedly pleasurable movement. “As much as I’m digging this – and believe me, I am – shouldn’t we move this indoors? You know…in case our friend decides to turn around and surprise us while our dangly parts are hanging out.”

Dave laughed against his collarbone, scraping his teeth along the ridge to his neck, where he latched on with a frustrated growl before sighing regretfully and letting go. “No hot sex under the stars, then? Yeah, shit, you’re probably right.” He tucked Johnny back in with lingering touches and then surged to his feet and offered him a hand up. Before retrieving his shotgun and heading back, he leaned forward, meeting Johnny in a scorching kiss that nearly undid them both. Just then, some small, wild creature tunneled through the undergrowth a few feet away, the soft sound deafening in the quiet night, and Johnny yelped and pushed away. He led the way back to the trail and down the hill, pursued by Dave’s laughter.


	5. Chapter 5

While Dave stowed the shotgun back in the trunk of his car, Johnny detoured to the barn, taking a few minutes to reassure himself that the horses were okay and settled in for the night.  That done, he hurried across the dark yard and up the front steps, whistling softly, anticipating the pleasurable night stretching ahead of him.  So intent was he on entering the house and finding Dave that he never heard him when he launched his attack, silent as a breeze.  The only warning he had was a hint of movement in his peripheral vision, and then a warm, hard body knocked into his back.  Arms wrapped around his waist, halting his forward movement and throwing him off balance.

“Gotcha,” Dave growled in his ear, tightening his hold and brushing his bared teeth along Johnny’s vulnerable neck.

Surprised into choked laughter at the sudden ambush, Johnny stumbled back, pushing Dave with him.  He attempted to right them both but overcompensated, falling forward to his knees with Dave crashing down on top of him half a second later, sending him sprawling face down on the throw rug in the living room, pinned underneath the other man.  The hysterical giggle which bubbled up transformed almost immediately into an appreciative moan at the feel of Dave’s weight on top of him.  Hands latched onto either side of Johnny’s head, and teeth and tongue teased the exposed back of his spine.

After submitting to this enjoyable torment for a few minutes, Johnny felt the need to do more than lie passively.  He began to struggle, trying to turn over.  Dave bit down hard on his earlobe and Johnny yelped, arching his neck and shivering at the sensation.  “Come on, man,” he forced out in between gasps, “lemme up.”

Dave wound his legs around Johnny’s and began grinding his erection against his ass.  “Why should I?”

Johnny laughed breathlessly.  “Let me up and I’ll show you.”

Dave stilled, seeming to consider this, then rolled off and reclined on his elbows, watching Johnny, his eyes gleaming in the dark room.  Johnny rose slowly to his hands and knees, crawling the short distance between them and then pounced, falling on top of Dave with enough force to drive the air out of both their lungs.  Smiling smugly, he traced Dave’s lips with his index finger before fitting their mouths together and sinking down into a soft kiss that began tamely enough but quickly escalated to something frenzied and wild.

Dave’s broad hands kept their hips pressed together and his twined legs gave him the leverage needed to hump and slide against Johnny, generating heat and friction so delicious it was almost painful.  Johnny slid his hands up Dave’s neck and into his hair, turning his head one way and then the other while he sucked and tongued Dave’s mouth.  As excitement hummed through him, he used one hand to drag Dave’s sweater up off of his back, but before he could yank it over his head Dave leaned his weight to one side and rolled them over so that Johnny was underneath him again.  Johnny finally got the sweater up and off and tossed it across the room, and then both his and Dave’s hands were in constant movement, unbuttoning and unzipping and sliding and tugging, sending a shoe soaring one way and a shirt and pair of jeans another direction.  As they undressed one another they continued a slow roll, leaving first one and then the other on top, until finally they were jammed up next to the sofa with Johnny mostly underneath Dave, his hand twisted in the other man’s briefs as he worked them down his thighs, past his knees and jerked them away from his feet with a low grunt of triumph.

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” he murmured, attempting to sit up a little so he could get a crack at some of Dave’s newly revealed skin.  Soft laughter stopped him and he gave Dave a quizzical look.

“Your feet,” Dave snickered.

Johnny glanced down and huffed in annoyed amusement to see that he still wore his boots, but nothing else.  “Well, get ‘em off me.”

“Why?  You look kind of cute like that.”

Johnny shoved at him.  “Jackass.  I’ll do it.  Just move off me for a second.”

Dave continued to laugh as he shook his head.  “No.  You’re right.  Just lie still and I’ll take care of it.”

Dave knelt at Johnny’s feet, wrestled off one boot and then started on the second, which gave him some trouble.  Both men were laughing by the time the boot came free and sent them collapsing in opposite directions.  Taking advantage of the opening, Johnny pushed up and over, landing with his face inches from Dave’s fully erect cock.  With a slow look up at Dave, he wrapped a hand around the shaft and swallowed the head with relish before pulling off and licking his lips like a connoisseur.  “Tastes good,” he murmured before settling in more comfortably to suck and lick with gusto.  Dave’s harsh gasps encouraged him to take him deeper, as did the hands alternately clutching and petting his head.  When the hands grabbed his hair hard and became insistent, Johnny lifted his head, looking an inquiry at Dave.

“Two things,” panted Dave, chest heaving.  “First, gotta slow it down a little because I plan to fuck you and I don’t want any arguments.”

Johnny wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be annoyed.  Dave had effectively commandeered his planned seduction, but one look into his sharply focused blue eyes convinced him that not only did Dave mean business, but he knew exactly what he was doing.  That, more than anything, had Johnny perfectly willing to let Dave set the agenda.  So he waited, but Dave didn’t seem to have anything more to say.

“Well?” Dave finally barked. 

 “That was only one thing,” Johnny felt compelled to point out.  “You said there were two things.  What’s the second?”

Dave glared.  “Fine.  Number two is that this floor is fucking hard.  You do have a bed, don’t you?”

“It’s…yes.”  Dave’s intensity was making Johnny a little light-headed.  “It’s all the way upstairs, though.”

With bared teeth, Dave hissed, “Let’s go.”

Scrambling to his feet, Johnny grabbed Dave’s arm, hauled him up and dragged him upstairs to the bedroom.  The lube lay in plain sight on the nightstand.  Johnny snatched it up and tossed it to Dave, who caught it in one hand and then gave Johnny a push which sent him sprawling forward onto the bed.  He rolled onto his back to find Dave sitting next to him.

Dave shifted, crawling over Johnny until he was straddling his thighs.  He uncapped the lube and slicked up his fingers, all the while studying Johnny through narrowed eyes as if mapping out his strategy.  Johnny smoothed his hands up Dave’s knees and inner thighs to his cock, which he weighed appreciatively in one hand, savoring its heft and length.

“So…what are you waiting for?” Johnny prodded.

Dave pursed his lips and nodded, as if he had reached a decision.  “Turn over.  I want you on your knees.”

 Aroused and agreeable, Johnny just shrugged and rolled, thrusting his ass in the air with his knees spread wide, resting his head on his arms.  Moments later, Dave slid a slick finger inside of him. “Oh, fuck yeah,” Johnny sighed.  He squirmed back, anxious for more.  “Don’t need much prep…just…yeah…like that.  Feels good – Ahhh!”  His eyes teared up as Dave took him at his word and without warning pushed the head of his cock into his entrance.  He had just enough time to catch his breath before Dave thrust deeper, forcing a drawn out groan from Johnny.  He could feel Dave’s thighs and arms tremble as he fought to keep still while Johnny adjusted to him.

“You getting there?” asked Dave.

“Yeah.  Yeah.  I think so.  Go ahead.  Let me feel you.”  He arched his back as Dave move in and out, starting slow, finding a rhythm and then increasing the pace.  “That’s it,” Johnny encouraged him.  “Don’t hold back, man.  I can take more.”  He pushed back, meeting Dave’s thrusts, lost in the movements, grunting and perspiring, loving the pain-pleasure and the damp slide of Dave’s chest against his back.

“Ah…god,” growled Dave, and seemed to shift into a higher gear, wrapping one arm around Johnny’s hips and the other around his chest and pounding into him with driving, punishing speed.  Without missing a beat, he shifted back slightly, pulling Johnny with him, changing his angle to slam into Johnny’s prostate.  Johnny yowled as pleasure sparked through him.  He raised himself up on one elbow so he could grab his dick and start jerking himself off, pinching his eyes shut and giving low, wheezing groans of pleasure.

Behind him, Dave groaned in counterpoint, treating Johnny’s ass and his prostate to an expert pounding.  His head fell forward until his forehead rested against the back of Johnny’s neck, his sweat mingling with Johnny’s as it ran down his back.  His repeated exclamations of, “Unh!  Unh!  Unh!” vibrated through Johnny’s body in a mesmerizing rhythm, seeming to fill the room, mirroring his heartbeat.

Feeling his balls start to tighten, Johnny slowed his hand, wanting to prolong the sensations.  He sped up, slowed again and let his fingers drift back to feather across his balls, panting and whining.  Spurred on by Dave’s relentless thrusts, Johnny let his hand speed up again to a pace almost painful in its urgency.  Seconds later, his orgasm ripped through him like a lightning strike and he threw his head back yelling wordlessly, convulsing and shooting semen across his belly and chest as Dave drove deep, shuddering and letting loose a hoarse cry as he came deep inside Johnny.  Aftershocks shook them both.  Dave’s arms tightened, crushing Johnny to him, and then he collapsed on top of him, pressing him into the mattress.

Utterly wrung out, content and drifting, Johnny lay pinned for several minutes, unconcerned with the wet spot beneath him or the cooling stickiness between his thighs.  Dave’s limp cock nestled between his butt checks, his arms bracketed him, and his hands rested possessively on top of his head.

Incoherent mumbling vibrated against his neck.  Johnny turned his head a fraction.  “Huh?”

“Said that was good.  Great.  Think I broke my brain.”

“Unh,” Johnny remarked intelligently.

Following a few more minutes of panting recuperation, Dave began to stir.  “Should get cleaned up.”  His stomach growled audibly and somehow Johnny summoned the energy to laugh.

“We never did eat, did we?”

Dave sighed.  “It’s not too late for those steaks, is it?”

Johnny wriggled his way out from underneath the other man and flopped onto his back.  “I’m sure the coals are nothing but ash by now.  Guess I could fry them up in the kitchen.”

“Hmm.  Or…”

“Or?”

“We could feed ‘em to each other raw.”

Johnny grimaced.  “I think maybe those wild animals you keep company with are starting to rub off on you.”

Dave rose up on one elbow and gave him a wicked grin that somehow managed to appear innocent and feral at the same time.  “Wild animals rubbing off on me?  Absolutely.  Anytime you want.”  He nipped Johnny’s earlobe and dropped a sweet kiss on his mouth.

Johnny’s eyes drifted shut.  He smiled languidly.  “Sounds like a plan.  Just maybe not right away.”  Dave’s damp body shifted to lay half on top of Johnny and his hand rested on his hip, fingers stroking rhythmically, relaxing him further.  His own hand traced lethargic figure-eights over Dave’s back.  Cleanup and dinner could wait.  As he began the blissful slide into sleep, he sent out his thanks to the mountain lion, wishing it safe journey. 

A memory teased him and a lazy grin split his face.  His last thought before sleep took him was, _I suppose I should thank that damn goat, too._

 

 **The End**


End file.
